Gin-feed-actuating device.



T. N. CAME GIN FEED AGTUATING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED P1113 9, 1910.

Patented Sept. 6, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' T. N. CAMP. GIN FEED AGTUATING DEVICE. )APPLIOATIOH FILED IEB. 9,1910.

I Patented Sept. 6,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2;

THOMAS 1v. CAMP, or rownnr. SPRINGS, GEORGIA.

GIN-FEED-ACTUATING DEVICE.

Application filed February 9, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS N. CAMP, a citizen of the United States,residing at Powder Springs, in the county of Cobb and State of Georgia,have invented a new and useful Grin-Feed-Actuating Device, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention has relation to gin feed actuating devices and itconsists in the novel construction and arrangement of its parts ashereinafter shown and described.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple device of thecharacter indicated the parts of which are so arranged that they may bereadily adjusted while the device is in operation to control thequantity of material which will be fed to the saws of the gin.

Vith the above objects in view the device consists of a lever which isfulcrumed to the frame of the gin and which is provided with armsadapted to be adjusted longitudinally with relation to the fulcrum pointof the lever. Means is provided for adjusting the said arms. A ratchetwheel is mounted upon the feed shaft of the gin and pawls are pivotallyconnected to said arms and are adapted to operate upon the periphery ofthe said ratchet wheel to turn the same as the lever is swung upon itsfulcrum. A connecting rod is pivotally connected at one end with adriving wheel forming a component part of the gin and the other end ofthe said connecting rod is adj ustably connected with the power end ofthe said lever.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a gin withthe feed actuating device applietl thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevationof the lever forming a part of the actuating device detached from thegin. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the said lever with parts thereof insection.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates agin feeder structure having a ratchet wheel 2 attached to the end of thefeed shaft 3. Any suitable feed device, as for instance an endless belt4 may be actuated by the shaft 3 and has its delivery end disposed abovethe breast 5 of the gin. A drive wheel 6 forms a component part of thegin structure and is connected, by ordinary means, with the movableparts of the gin that are actuated by the same.

A standard 7 is attached to the forward portion of the frame of the gin1 and a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 6, 1910.

Serial No. 542,889.

lever 8 is fulcrumedto the outer end of the said standard. The lever 8is provided with a sleeve 9 which receives a cross pin 10 attached tothe outer portion of the said standard and the said sleeve 9 and crosspin 10 constitute the fulcrum point of the said lever. The lower end ofthe lever 8 is provided with a longitudinally disposed slot 11 whichbifurcates the same and the bifurcations are provided with transverselydisposed perforations 12. At its upper end the lever 8 is provided witha head 13 which is vertically slotted as at 1 1 and the arms 15 and 15are slidably mounted in the slots 1 1 of the head 13 of the lever 8. Thearms 15 and 15 are provided at their inner edges with teeth 16 and 16'respectively. A pawl 17 is pivotally connected at its forward end withthe upper end of the arm 15 and a pawl 18 is pivotally connected at itsforward end with the lower end of the arm 15. The rear ends of the pawls17 and 18 are hook shaped and rest upon the upper portion of theperiphery of the ratchet Wheel 2. A connecting rod 19 is pivotally andeccentrically connected at its rear end with the drive wheel 6 and theforward end of the said connecting rod 19 is pivotally and adjustablyconnected with the lower end of the lever 8 by means of a pin 20 whichpasses transversely through the said connecting rod 19 and lies in oneof the perforations 12 provided .in the bifurcations formed at the lowerend of the lever S.

A shaft 21 is journaled in the head por tion 13 of the lever 8 and hasan end portion which projects beyond the front side of the said leverand is provided with a hand wheel 22. A pinion 23 is fixed to theintermediate portion of the shaft 21 and meshes with the teeth 16 and 16carried by the arms 15 and 15 respectively. The arms 15 and 15 are sopositioned with relation to the shaft 21 and the fulcrum point betweenthe lever 8 and the standard 7 that their ends which are pivotallyconnected with the pawls 17 and 18 respectively are always at equaldistances from the said shaft 21 and the said fulcrum point.

From the above description it will be seen that as the wheel 6 rotatesthe connecting rod 19 will be moved longitudinally and the lever 8 willbe swung upon its fulcrum. As the lower end of the said lever 8 is swungaway from the feed shaft 3, the pawl 18, which is in engagement with theteeth of the ratchet wheel 2 will partially turn the said wheel 2 uponthe axis of the shaft 3 at the same time the pawl 17 will be movedlongitudinally toward the rear portion of the gin feeder 1 and willescape or pass over the teeth of the ratchet wheel 2. As the wheel 6continues to rotate and the rod 19 is moved toward the rear of the ginfeeder 1 the pawl 17 will engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel 2 andpartially turn the said ratchet wheel upon the axis of the shaft 3 whilethe hook portion of the pawl 18 will escape the teeth of the ratchetwheel 2 and move toward the rear part of the gin feeder 1.

An operator may stand in front of the frame of the gin feeder 1 and.observe the manner in which the gin saws are operating upon the materialwhich is fed to them in consequence of rotating the shaft 3. If thecotton is damp or heavy he may grasp the hand wheel 22 and turn theshaft 21 whereby the ends of the arms 15 and 15 which are pivotallyconnected with the pawls 17 and 18 respectively are brought toward eachother and consequently the extent of movement of the pawls 17 and 18 isdiminished and the extent to which the ratchet wheel 2 is intermittentlyturned is reduced. If however the cotton should be dry and light theoperator may so turn the shaft 21 as to move the ends of the arms 15 and15 away from each other whereby the extent of iongitudinal movement ofthe pawls 17 and 18 is increased and the extent of intermittent rotationof the ratchet wheel 2 is correspondingly increased. Therefore it willbe seen that simple and effective means is provided for adjusting theamount of material which is fed to the gin saws while the gin and theother parts of the machine are in operation. It is of course understoodthat by adjustably connecting the forward end of the connecting rod 19with the lower end of the lever 8 that the rocking movement of the saidlever upon its fulcrum point may be increased or diminished as desired.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is 1. In combination with a gin having a feedingdevice, means for actuating the feeding device comprising a standardmounted upon the gin frame, a lever fulcrumed to the standard, aconnecting rod pivotally attached at one end with said le ver and at itsother end pivotally connected l i i l i with a revolving wheel forming acomponent part of the gin, arms adjustably mounted upon said lever andhaving gear teeth, a shaft journaled upon the lever, a pinion carried bysaid shaft and meshing with the teeth of said arms, a ratchet wheelmounted upon the shaft of the feeding device, and pawls pivotallyconnected to said arms and engaging the ratchet teeth of said ratchetwheel.

2. In combination with a gin having a feeding device, means foractuating the feeding device comprising a standard attached to the frameof the gin, a lever fulcrumed to the standard, a connecting rodpivotally attached at one end to the power end of said lever andpivotally attached at its other end to a driving wheel forming acomponent part of the gin, arms slidably mounted upon said lever andhaving their outer ends located at equal distances from the fulcrumpoint of the lever, said arms having teeth, a shaft journaled upon thelevcr, pinion fixed to the shaft and meshing with the teeth of the arms,a ratchet Wheel mounted upon the shaft of the feeding device, and pawlspivoted to the outer ends of said arms and engaging the teeth of saidratchet wheel.

8. In combination with a gin having a feeding device, means foractuating the feeding device comprising a standard attached to the frameof the gin, a lever fulcrunied to said standard, a connecting rodpivotally connected at one end with the said lever and at its other endpivotally connected with a driving wheel forming a component part of thegin, arms slidably mounted upon the lever and having teeth, a shaftjournaled upon the lever, a pinion mounted upon said shaft and meshingwith the teeth of the arm, the outer ends of-said arms being located atequal distances from the fulcrum point of the lever and the said shaftjournaled thereon, a ratchet wheel fixed to the shaft of the feedingdevice, and pawls pivotally connected at their forward ends with theouter ends of the arms and at their rear ends engaging the teeth of theratchet wheel.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS N. CAMP.

Witnesses:

